Aircraft power plant



Aug 14,1945. g A STALKER 2,382,343

AIRCRAFT POWER PLANTS Original Filed Jan "9. 1942 Patented Aug. 14,1945

2.3mm Amonm rownn PLANT sown-s A. Stalker, 3., The Dow Chemical City, Mich.', assignor to Company, Midland, Mich,

a corporation of Michigan M invention relstesto improvements in aircraft and particularly to the power plant.

An object or the invention is to provide an aircraft with a plurality oi prime movers of which one or more may be disconnected from the pro.- pulsive device and maintained in e. condition for the quick supply of power .to the device.

Other objects and advantages will be Pointed out hereinafter or will become 1. description r v- In the sen :1 numerals are m2 throughout, there is illustrated a. suitable mechanical embodiment of whet is now considered to be the mole iorm oi the invention. The and ii respectively. Normally with both engines drawing wever is for the p11 11 vs oi illush'ation operating under power the exhaust s leave only and is not to be en es 'limi the inthe collector rings through the in 32 and i3, V n iim, the scope of which is to be measured respectively. The two collector rinse are interentlrely by the appended cls. connected through the pipe it. The engines are In the drs: also preferably enclosed within a housing it which Fig. 1 is a. schematic view of the invention as directs the flow of cooling air over the engines. applied to radial orsirccoled engines; If only one of the engines is operating, such Fig. 2 is s. schematic elevntionsl view of e as engine it, the idle engine it may be disconpower plant in relation to the drive shuft "1. nected from the power shsft it by the operation along the wins span: and v of its automatic clutch it. However it will re- Fl 3 is a ton plsn view of nnsircroit incorceive hot gas from the exhaust of engine I i Doretins the wor plnnt. through the pipe it as indicated by the arrows In ry eircrsit s st smount of power is in Fig. 2. This hot gas will reach all the cyllndesirable while sctuellyensosed in combat but ders exterior thereof and will actually invade some with a pr perly s oircrsft only s fraction which have their exhaust valves open. The pipe of this power is needed to reach the enemy ob- 1 airplane then files too slowly. However if the th some me of increasn; ity and the g1 slrplone ares reduce then et maxi-- mum L/D at u very high in It then mes prncticel to iiv the rim on less then the power of one e in t where total application January 9, 1942, Seriai'No.

this application August (Ci. Bib-97) that it may quickly provide iull power as would engines to serve as a. blower for producing a flow of cooling air over the engines. The shaft l2 shown in Fig. 3.,

The engines have exhaust collector rings 20 the working engine it while vslve it isclosed to exclude the cooling sir from the idle engine Ii. Valve it may also be moved to open position as indicated in dotted lines toprovide for the flow oi such sir. hosted by H se over the working so, over the idle engine which is thus further heated; With engine ii thus kept hot. it

may he'connccted at any instant to the shaft it by the operation of clutch It, and is in condition to provide for f =1 n3 iull er without delay.

1 is two, 03' in 021m wg ntl I! have 110W described suitsble H11 :H 01

than onemy invention which are now preferred. It is to be In the id m c t t. t t list mm t, understood however that the invention is not limis elently high to reduce the wins ores so that lied the l construction mutilated and he m; .1, mam th we described and that I intend to cislm it broadly as the m lndicnted by the scope of the appended claims. I claim:

mounted on the respective drive shafts of the" extends spanwise in the wing of the airplane as 1.In combination. a plurality of heat engines having exhaust gas chambers containing hot fluid when the respective engine is operating under power, a driven shalt, clutch means engaging said engines to said shaft and operable to disengage an engine, and duct means interconnecting the said chambers to direct hot fluid from the engaged engine operating under power to the disengaged engine.

2. In combination, a plurality of heat engines having chambers containing hot fluid when the respective engine is operating under power, an exhaust ring associatedwith each engin for receiving the hot fluid from said respective chambers, a driven shaft, clutch means engaging said engines to said shaft and operable to disengage an engine when notoperating under power, and

duct means interconnecting said exhaust rings to direct hot fluid from an engaged engine operating under power to a disengaged engine's 3. In combination, a plurality of heat engines having chambers containing hot fluid when the respective engine is operating under power, an

. exhaust ring associated with each engine for receiving the hot fluid from said respective chambers, a separate exhaust passage for each said exhaust ring, a driven shaft, clutch means for engaging said engines to said shaft and operable to disengage an engine when not omrating under power, and duct means interconnecting said exhaust rings at'cornding points spaced from said separate exhaust to direct hot fluid from an enged engine operating under power to a disengaged engine. a

4. In combination, a plurality of heat engines having exhaust gas chambers containing hot fluid when the respective engine is operating under power. a driven shaft, clutch means engaging said engines to said shaft and operable to disengage an engine when not operating under power, duct means interconnecting said chambers to direct hot fluid from an engaged engine operating under a power to a disengaged engine, means associated with each of said sea for directing a flow of cooling air thereover, and means for excludin said flow of cooling air from a disengaged engine.

5. In combination, a plurality of heat engines having chambers containing hot fluid when the respective engine is operating under power, an exhaust ring associated with each engine for receiving the hot fluid from said respective chambers, a separate exhaust passage for each said exhaust ring, a driven shaft, clutch means for engaging said engines to said shaft and operable to disengage an engine when not operating under pcwer.,duct means interconnecting said exhaust rings at corresponding points spaced from said separate exhaust gas to direct hot fluid from an engaged engine operating under power to a disengaged engine. means associated with each of said engines for directing a flow of cooling air viding for individual disconnection of the drive shaft of an idle engine, housing means for enclosings. working and an idle engine, and means including said housing means for directing a flow of cooling air-over a working engine and then over an idle engine to transfer heat to the idle engine to keep the idle engine warm.

7. In combination, a plurality of heat engines adapted to become heated when working and each having a drive shaft, means for selectively connecting said drive shafts to a load and providing for individual disconnection of the drive shaft of an idle engine, housing means for en closing a working and an idle engine and providing a path of flow for cooling air thereover, and valve means in said housing means for controlling the flow of cooling air through said housing to direct such flow over a working engine where it is heated and then over an idle engine to keep such idle engine warm.

8. In combination. a plurality of heat engines adapted to become heated when working and each having a drive shaft, means for selectively connecting said drive shafts to a load and prothereover, and means for excluding said flow of cooling air irom a disengaged engine.

8. In'combination, a plurality of heat engines each having a drive shaft, means for selectively connecting said drive shafts to a load and pro- 'adapted to become heated when working and as viding for individual disconnection-of the drive shaft of an idle engine, housing means for enclosing a working and'an idle engine, and blower means for producing a flow of cooling air through said housing over said working engine and then over said idle engine to keep said idle engine warm.

9. In combination a plurality of heat engines having chambers containing hot fluid when the respective engine is operating under power, means for selectively coupling said see to a load and providing for individual disconnection of an idle engine therefrom, duct means interconnecting said chambers to direct hot fluid from a working engine to an idle engine, housing means enclosing said working and said idle engines and providing a path of flow for cooling air over said engines, and means including said housing means for directing a flow of cooling air over said working engine and then over said idle engine to transfer heat to said idle engine to keep said idle engine warm.

10. In combination a plurality of heat engines having chambers containing hot fluid when the respective engine is operating under power, means for selectively coupling said engines to a load and providing for individual disconnection of an idle engine therefrom, duct means interconnecting said chambers to direct hot fluid from a working engine to an idle engine, housing means enclosing a working engine and an idle engine; said housing means also enclosing at least a portion at said duct means and providing a path of flow for cooling air over said engines, and means including said housing means for directing a flow of cooling air over said workin: engine and over said duct/means and then over said idle engine to provide for transfer of heat to said idle engine to keep said idle ensine warm.

"EDWARD a s'rsnm. 

